So all roads led Mendips way as for the second week in a row, but the pink this time was packed away, and it was time to sort out the grid for the world.
It was semi time. It was also the last set of shoots for the Jho Charity Calendar. But, like the Cornish comedian Jethro, I was bledey lucky to get there, as no end of problems beset myself in the run up towards the meeting. Driving to Tescos on Tuesday night, my car started to play up. Now with a car full of girls booked to ride up, and with military precision, the use of the car was going to be vital. So I asked my dad to have a look, to which, he pulled the bonnet catch clear off. Bugger. With the fan deciding to do its own thing, it was off to the garage on Thursday. On Friday afternoon, the progonosis came through, part required, not here til monday. Fuck! So after a quick rejig between me and Stef, I took the Lampy Skoda and sorted the job out. A 7:15am start, unheard of for a Bristol meeting, we got on the road, picked up Steph, Alana and Becky and stopped (via McDonald's) in Bristol at 9:45am. It absolutely pissed it down. I suddenly got really really depressed and worried as we had 6 cars to shoot for the calendar. Thankfully, through a combination of factors, welcoming changing rooms (my thanks again to the Bradburys for the use of their van) a break in the rain and an indefatigable spirit from the girls, we managed, with many costume changes, to get the shots done, which lightened the mood in the pits. There was even a last minute model change during the Gordon Moodie scene as seen below....
First heat was run in monsoon conditions as the assorted others came along to play. Hewaswater farming rainman Andrew Bennett (830), fresh from a Polley dressing down, led away until about 2 to go, when Adam Rubery (700) took over, and took the win, a small consolation on missing our on the semis and also a last minute appeal to be on the calendar!
A nice build up to the big one. Lively Linfield certainly was that, as he proclaimed that his trademark gridwalk would not be continued after the World Final because people have "stolen" it. A wise man once said "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery". Another man said, "there are no new ideas, only spins on existing ones". And a particularly vociferous "start your engines" from Mr Starter, Andy Chant got us under way....
So all eyes were on the skies as the rain fell from above and the track was still trecherous. Bradbury got away form the pack and the expected Brennan lunge seemed to be dissipated by the wet weather. Sam Wagner (823) took his opportunity and fired the World Champ into Barry Goldin (401)and moved clear.Yellows came out as the Champs were stranded on the bottom bend. Come the restart, Bradders drove away, but behind a nice scrap was developing between Sam Wagner and Chris Burgyone (647). Further back, Neil Hooper (676) was on the charge, but his race came to an end as a result of the John Fortune (964) bumper. Fortune led a charge behind which included westcountry yellow tops Dale Moon (302) and Chris Rowe (76).
Bradbury took the win from Wagner, Burgoyne, then the virtually anonymous Gordon Moodie (7), an impressive drive from Jamie Avery (126) for 5th. Chris Mikulla (522) splashed his way to 6th. Fortune, Moon, Rowe and Tim Bailey (817) rounded out the 10.
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| Champions exit. Courtesy of Thunder Pix |
There were a fair amount of cars lining up for the Consolation, so the decision was made to split them. Dan Moss (797) drove away in the consolation 1. Meanwhile in Semi 2, Liam Rowe (605) took it.
The final was a dry affair, and whilst most eyes where on the semi finalists, a group of tarts broke away. Both the Mosses, Paul and Dan led them away, pursued by the previous weeks final winner Nathan Maidment (935) and Rowe. Yellow flags came out for Rowe, after Neil Hooper (676) dispensed with him up the top bend, and Bradbury, Aldridge and Speak decided to join the party. However, yellow flag after yellow flag, the 935 car hit the front and stayed there, as try as he might Hooper could not catch the flying Milborne Port based driver. After Aldridge tried, but failed to pass both Speak and Bradbury, it was the multi champion Speak who finished third, who then in turn got the inside line for semi 2. But for Maidment, a spot of prophecy given to him by myself that he could have as many as 7 or 8 grade changes in a year is coming to fruition.
Points of Order
Scrutineering took a long, long time. The uber pernickety Blackwell was on charge on his own, when usual checkmasters Roy Dyke and Colin Higman were away. Total gridlock in the pits with 80 there and not able to get about.
Maybe for the world, designate a role to each to a team of scrutineers, one on tracking, one on helmets, one on weight and so on. One driver reported a wait of an hour to be seen, and plenty were moaning about the delays.
Mr Steward and Mr Starter will be getting a full fat face full of fucks from legendary twitter ranter Jo Polley-Goldin after our Barry was chucked out under the "cause of the stoppage rule" which was fairly but harshly applied. If there was a massive pile up with 15 cars up the top bend, which brought out a yellow, would all 15 cars be removed. I doubt it! What it highlights is that once again, some tracks dispense with this rule, and there is a real lack of consistency which causes controversy when the rule is correctly applied.
Bit keen to bring out the reds in Semi 1, when all cars hadn't completed the course and some confusion followed.
An awful lot of wheelguard coming adrift yesterday, and I saw at least one successful semi finalist cross the line with a wheel guard adrift. No technical disqualification flag was shown to the ones that did have them flapping about in the wind.
Quite a few drivers loaded up and buggered off home after their Semis. Understandable considering the weather and distances.
Starts were exemplary, a clear strategy. End of the silver fence at the exit of turn 4, green flag press the loud pedal and lets rock. Keep that for the normal domestic meetings and you'll get no complaints from me, and no more pringles!
Despite the weather, the meeting was top class, and well run. Even the Robins were suprisingly entertaining as a knockabout sideshow.
So the grid I hear thee ask!
Inside
|
Row
|
Outside
|
218 Rob Speak
|
1
|
886 Chris Bradbury
|
100 George Macmillan
|
2
|
823 Sam Wagner
|
Johnny Clogs
|
3
|
Paddy Irishman
|
38 Dave Polley
|
4
|
647 Chris Burgoyne
|
871 Mark Simpson
|
5
|
7 Gordon Moodie
|
Van Der Valk
|
6
|
Pwr Shwr
|
189 Paul Butcher
|
7
|
126 Jamie Avery
|
921 Jack Aldridge
|
8
|
522 Chris Mikulla
|
Irish Eyesasmiling
|
9
|
Herman the German
|
124 Ollie Skeels
|
10
|
964 John Fortune
|
178 Mark Dews
|
11
|
302 Dale Moon
|
Belgian Bun
|
12
|
Crazy Fersure Spacecake
|
254 Richard Beere
|
13
|
76 Chris Rowe
|
163 Craig Wallace
|
14
|
817 Tim Bailey
|
Isle of Man Man
|
15
|
Kiwi Fruit
|
Consi 1
|
16
|
Consi 2
|
Consi 3
|
17
|
Consi 4
|
Consi 5
|
18
|
Consi 6
|
1 Micky Brennan (unless bettered)
|
And the consolation semi could be a world grid too!
Inside
|
Row
|
Outside
|
1 Micky Brennan
|
1
|
401 Barry Goldin
|
186 George Turricki
|
2
|
3 Liam Rennie
|
768 Tom Adcroft
|
3
|
270 Mark Gibbs
|
101 Kelvyn Whalley
|
4
|
480 Garry Sime
|
488 Liam Bentham
|
5
|
315 Justin Fisher
|
783 James Rygor
|
6
|
476 Ryan Wadling
|
641 Dennis Middler
|
7
|
20 Dave Tagell
|
290 Jay Tonkin
|
8
|
53 Phil Mann
|
676 Neil Hooper
|
9
|
14 Mike Priddle
|
605 Liam Rowe
|
10
|
725 Paul Broatch
|
596 Richie Mead
|
11
|
299 Steve Smith
|
935 Nathan Maidment
|
12
|
64 Marc Fortune
|
618 Ben Lockwood
|
13
|
169 Richard Stott
|
580 Alan Edmiston
|
14
|
979 Paul Moss
|
866 Bobby Griffin
|
15
|
995 Michael Lund
|
797 Dan Moss
|
16
|
597 Barry Clow
|
352 Dave Sansom
|
17
|
102 Wullie Draeger
|
854 Robbie Dawson
|
18
|
890 Paul Rice
|
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